Apparatus for use in mixing and blending fibers



July 21, 1964 E. w. HlLT ETAL y 3,141,199

APPARATUS FOR Usa 1N MIXING AND BLENDING FIBERS Filed Nov. 17. 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet l f r f \\\s r L w w 2 Q /22/ E CJ/ a i171 z'/ Q 5 c) I N VEN TORS Eugene WHK July 2l, 1964 E. w. HlLT ETAL.

APPARATUS FOR USE IN MIXING AND BLENDING FIBERS Filed NOV. 17. 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 3 INVENTORA" Eqge/ze W321i 6: Walafz,f

@Eef @M 4 M July 21, 1964 E. w. HILT ETAL 3,141,199

APPARATUS FOR USE 1N MIXNG AND BLENDING FIBERS Filed Nov. 17, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 @@MQL July 21, 1964 E. w. HiLT ETAL 3,141,199

APPARATUS FOR USE IN MIXING AND BLENDING FIBERS Filed NOV. 17, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 AWS/5 July 21, 1964 E. wQHlLT ETAI. 3,141,199

APPARATUS FoR'usE 1N MIXING AND BLENDING FIBERs Filed Nov. 17, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. Eqgane WJHZI( United States Patent Oli ice 3,141,199 Patented July 21, 1964 3,141,199 APPARATUS FR USE IN MIXING AND BLENDENG NBER@ Eugene W. Hilt, Saco, Maine, and Ernest G. Whalon, Jr.,

Danielson, Conn., assignors to Pepperell Manufacturing Company, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Nov. 17, 1964i, Ser. No. 70,026 9 Claims. (Cl. 15P-145.5)

This invention pertains to apparatus for use in the treatment of textile fibers preparatory to spinning and more especially to a means for use in mixing or blending fibers having different characteristicsfor instance difference in kind, staple length, grade, color, softness, ete-thereby to provide a mix of substantial uniformity as to certain chosen characteristics or qualities, the present application being a continuation-in-part of the copending application for Letters Patent of the United States, Serial No. 803,421, filed April 1, 1959, by Eugene W. Hilt and Ernest G. Whalon, Jr., now Patent No. 3,107,397.

Intimate mixing of the textile fibers from different batches of supplyfor example, cotton from different bales, iibers of different kinds, for example cotton and staple rayon; or different dyed tibers-is of prime importance for producing high quality threads and yarns, that is to say, threads or yarns having uniform strength, elongation, color or the like. Intimate mixing also reduces failures during spinning. Thus, for instance, in mixing different classes of cotton, staple, price, color and spinningy qualities are things to be considered. A harsh wiry fiber and a soft pliable one cannot be mixed together as a practical matter, for the treatment for the one is different from that required for the other. Good blending is dened as meaning that condition when each ber characteristic is found in each cross-section of the spun yarn in the proportions of its presence in the mixand with variations from the proportions resulting only as a consequence of random selection.

The blending of bers in the effort to produce a uniform product is customarily performed as a step preliminary to or concomitantly with the opening and picking operations, since, unless the fiber be properly blended at a very early stage in the process, excess waste and loss may result.

As a specific example and with reference to the blending of cotton in preparing it for delivery to a mixing picker, the selected number of bales to be included in the mix, for instance from twelve to sixteen, are placed about the picker (the bands and heads having been removed) and then, by feeding a small quantity from each bale sirnultaneously to the picker, a reasonably good blend will be obtained. However, such a result depends upon the exercise of exceptional care upon the part of the operator. Another procedure involves the spreading of the contents of successive bales, or fractional portions of each bale, to form horizontal layers disposed one upon the other, thus building up a multi-layer stack and then, by hand, pulling off from the edge of this stack portions or slices, which should reach from top to bottom of the stack for delivery to the picker. Theoretically this procedure should produce reasonable uniformity, but again this depends very largely upon the care of the operator in including a portion of each layer in each slice which he removes from the stack. Moreover, this latter procedure involves the provision of a mixing chamber of sufficient capacity to receive a large number of opened bales, and in addition, a oor area on which the multi-layer stack may be built up. Mechanical modifications of this latter procedure have been proposed-for instance the selected number of bales may be arranged within convenient distance from a weighing pan and the operator then takes from each successive bale a quantity of fiber which he spreads in the bottom of the pan to form as nearly uniform a layer as possible and of a thickness to provide the desired proportional weight of material from that particular bale. He then continues placing layer after layer in the pan, each consisting of material from a different bale, until he has built up a batch of the desired weight. Then, Without disturbing the arrangement of these superposed horizontal layers, the batch is removed from the pan and placed upon the horizontal conveyor apron of a conventional feeder or mixing picker and is advanced by this picker into the field of action of the customary spike apron of such a machine. Theoretically, this spike apron should remove equal quantities per unit of time from each of the superposed horizontal layers forming this batch, such layers customarily eX- tending across the entire width of the conveyor. However, careful experiment has shown that this apparatus does not accomplish the expected result, in particular for the reason that in conventional feeders or pickers there is arranged, near the upper end of the liber-elevating run of the spike apron, a vibratory comb or knock-off roll whose function is to even the thickness of the material on the spike apron by knocking off surplus stock, the stock thus removed falling back and, in the usual feeder or picker, dropping onto the material which is being advanced toward the spike apron by the horizontal conveyor apron. In apparatus such as that just described, it is found that substantially all of the stock which is thus removed from the spike apron is that which forms the upper layer or layers of the multi-layer batch above described; and thus, in many instances, the nal mix may be very deficient in the characteristics of this upper layer, for example, if the apparatus be employed for mixing batches of stock of the same character but of different colors, the resultant mix may be of a tint or shade wholly different from that intended, and which should theoretically be obtained by Athe mixing of the carefully weighed-out quantities of the several colors. Since the material which is scraped oli.E by the knock-off roll drops onto the top of the upper layer of the multi-layer batch, it merely increases the thickness of this layer and, if this material is picked up by the spike apron, it is again knocked off and eventually forms a roll which continues to rotate but may never be incorporated with the material which is ultimately delivered by the spike apron to the mixing picker.

The present invention has for its object the provision of a novel apparatus for use in the blending of textile materials so as to produce substantial uniformity in the product, and which is not subject to the errors and the disadvantages inherent in prior practices such as above referred to. A further object is to provide mixing and blending means such as may be associated with a conventional feeder or mixing picker, requiring but slight modification of the latter, and which occupies far less floor space than is required for mixing and blending of textile materials in accordance with most customary prior practices. A further object is to provide mixing and blending means which substantially eliminates the personal factor as an element of possible error, and which is substantially automatic in its operation, requiring no more than the repeated deposit in each of a series of compartments of material taken from each of a corresponding number of bales, bins or piles.

In the attainment of the above objects, the present invention provides a novel apparatus for blending fibrous material which provides a substantially uniform mix by arranging predetermined masses of each, respectively, of the several constituents of the desired mix side-by-side with their lower surfaces in the same plane; simultaneously advancing said masses of material, while keeping them side-by-side and with their lower surfaces in said plane, toward a delivery point; simultaneously removing material from the advancing ends of the several masseslat-said-delivery 'point and, when each of said masseshasbeen depleted-to a predetermined extent by the removal of material from its advancing end, adding material at the trailing end of each of said masses to iinsurea constant supply of material at the vdelivery point.

In one embodiment of therpresent invention for sup- :plying fibrous material to a conventionalrfeeder, mixing 4picker or the like, `having a conveyor apron provided `with a material-supporting run arranged to deliver .fi-

brous material to the lower'end of the upgoing run of a spike apron, there is'arranged, above the receiving end of the conveyorfapron, conveyor-loadingmeans comprisving a plurality of adjacent compartments each substantially rectangular inhorizontal section and each desirably longerin the direction of apron movement than transversely, each compartment being open at its top for the reception of materialbut being normally closed by -a hinged door at its lower end, each of the compartments vbeing designed to receive one of the constituents, respectively,y of the desired mix; means operative simulta- 'advanced simultaneously and side-by-side toward the spike apron, the doors automatically closing when the charge of material has been dropped from the compartments, the meansfor simultaneously opening the several doors acting automatically, when the trailing ends of the several. masses of fibrous material have arrived at a predetermined distance from the spike apron, to open the doors. and allow other charges of material, which have inthe meantime -been placed in the several compartments, to drop upon the conveyor apron. Although Vtheseelongate masses of ber are not of exactly uniform size. or shape, they are sometimes referred to hereinafter, merely. for convenience, and diagrammatically illustrated, as elongate rectangular blocks.

In ranother embodiment, there is provided, adjacent theendoflthe'conveyor apron, opposite the spike apron, a second conveyor which includes driving means independentof the operation of lthe rst said conveyor; a plurality of adjacent compartments arranged above said second'conveyor, each compartment being substantially rectangular inhorizontal section and desirably longer in the direction of conveyor movement than transversely, each compartment being open at its top and bottom and having ysides which reach down almost to said second conveyor; and means operative automatically, when a roll of `fibers, which results-from the motion of the conveyor and lspike apron and from which the spike apron draws material, becomes depleted, for causing said second conveyor tobedrivenso-as to feed a composite charge of material into the roll, the components of said charge'V having previously been placed in and discharged fromsaid compartments.

Bythe use of the apparatus referred to, the mass of material which approaches the spike apron is substantially uniform in composition at any horizontal section, since Whatever surplus material may be knocked off from the spike apron bythe evening comb comprises portions of each-of the several constituents intended to form the mix and is not predominantly of vany one of these several-components. Thus, the material which is delivered to the feeder or mixing picker, and whichV forms the roll of material fromwhich the spike lapron `draws bers, always contains the several constituents in the intended proportions; and, .since the operator is merely required to place -ineach of the compartments material from a corresponding bale, bin or pile, in forming the charge intheparticular compartmenuthe personal factor is largely eliminated; the operationy is more rapid than by previousmethods or apparatus; and a minimum of space is required as compared with systems in which the material must be spread upon the floor to form a multi-layer stack of large superficial dimensions in the attempt to secure uniformity of mix.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed out in the following more detailed description and by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary diagrammatic perspective view; with parts broken away, showing apparatus in accordance with one embodiment of the invention arranged in association with afeeder of a well-known type, the liber-holding compartments being empty with their doors open and nobrous material resting upon the conveyor apron;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of the blending apparatus of FIG. 1, omitting all parts of the feeder excepttne conveyor apron;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic front elevation of the blending apparatus of FIG. 1, showing a part of the-floor of the opening room in vertical section;

FIG. 4 is a-fragmentary diagrammatic side elevation, showing a portion of-a conventional feeder, including the horizontal conveyor apron, a spike apron of conventional type with a vibratory comb for knocking olf surplus material thereby to even the layer on the spike apron, and showing one composite charge of material resting upon the conveyor with its advancing end appreaching the spike apron, andshowing, in broken lines, a second charge in readiness to be dropped onto the conveyor apron from the compartments of the blending apparatus;

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic plan view illustrating the character of the composite charge which is lpresented by the conveyor apron to the spike apron;

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic vertical section on the line 6-6 of-FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a wiring diagram illustrative of one desirable electrical system forl use in the automatic operation of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary diagrammatic perspective view, with parts broken away, showing apparatus in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention, again arranged in association with a conventional feeder; and

FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the second embodiment including the feeder and indicating a roll of iibrous material formed at the juncture of the conveyor and the spike apron.

VReferring to the drawings (FIGS. 1 to 7), the character P indicates a feeder which may be of any conventional type, although as here illustrated, it is a so-called FJ-Cleaning and Blending Feeder, manufactured by the Saco-Lowell Company, as illustrated in the Saco- Lowell Handbook, volume l, Opening and Picking, copyrighted 1942 by Saco-Lowell Shops of Boston, Massachusetts, said apparatus being operative, either primarily or as a secondary function, to mix fibrous material delivered to it. The feeder or picker employed, of whatsoever kind or character will, as usual, comprise a so-called spike apron S (FIG. 4) to which the material (to be delivered to the feeding or picking apparatus P), is presented by a conveyor apron, here shown as having a horizontal, material-supporting run R (FIG. 4). The feeder or picker, -as usual, also comprises a knock-olf comb K or equivalent evening means, designed to remove surplus material from the layer which is being elevated by the upgoing run `of the spike apron, so that the thickness of the layer which is delivered by the spike apron will be substantially uniform. Since the spike apron S does not, at all times, carry the fibrous material away as fast as it is presented to the spike apron by the conveyor R, the material tends to form a roll, such as indicated at Gb (FIG. 4), which slowly rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow. In order to insure proper pick-up of the material constituting this roll by the spike apron, a rake N (FIG. 4) is provided, this rake comprising a plurality of spaced, elongate, downwardly directed, parallel teeth fixed at their upper ends to a horizontal shaft 18 to which an arm 19 is fixed. A weight 20, carried by the arm 19, tends to turn the shaft 1S and thus press the rake teeth against the roll Gb, urging the latter toward the spike apron. Conventional means (not shown) limits movement of the rake and automatically adjusts the pressure which it exerts against the roll.

In the practice of the present invention, the conveyor apron R of the conventional feeder or picker is extended (as viewed in FIG. 1) to the right for a distance, for example, of forty inches, so that its receiving end may be disposed within the casing M (FIG. 1) of the mixing or blending apparatus of the present invention. This casing houses and supports a plurality of receptacles or compartments (here designed by the characters A, B, C, D and E, respectively), these compartments as here shown being substantially rectangular in horizontal section and longer in the direction of motion of the conveyor apron R than transversely. The compartments may be all of the same widths, or of different widths corresponding, for example, to the proportions of the several ingredients in the desired blend. The combined transverse width of the several compartments should not exceed the width of the conveyor apron R. Their lengths, in the direction of conveyor motion, may, for example, be of the order of forty inches. These compartments or receptacles extend upwardly to and through the ceiling of the room in which the apparatus is installed and their upper ends are desirably arranged substantially ush with the upper surface of the floor O (FIG. 3) of the opening room which is directly above the apparatus. Thus, the open upper ends of these compartments appear as parallel slots T in the floor O of the opening room. I ust below its upper or receiving end, each compartment is preferably narrowed as indicated at V (FIG. 1), the width of the narrow throat at this point limiting the thickness of the slab of ber which may be dropped into the compartment. At its lower end, each of the compartments A, B, C, etc., is provided with a door (FIG. 1) which is normally closed so as to form a floor for the respective compartment, but these doors are hinged each along one of the longitudinal lower edges of lthe corresponding compartment so that the doors may be dropped down to the position shown in full lines in FIG. 1. Each door is provided with a crank arm 11, extending radially from its hinge pin, and the ends of the several crank arms are pivotally connected to a link 12 which is actuated (through any suitable intermediate connections) by the rod 13 of a piston (not shown) Within an air cylinder 14. This cylinder is supplied with air from a suitable source of compressed air, under control of a solenoid-actuated valve 17, the arrangement being such that the doors are normally closed, but by operation of the valve 17 the doors all open simultaneously thereby permitting any material which has been collected in the several compartments to drop directly down onto the upper run of the conveyor apron R.

At a predetermined distance from the vertical plane of the left-hand walls of the compartments A, B, C, etc., as viewed in FIG. 1, for example, approximately midway between said plane and the receiving portion of the spike apron S, a light source (FIG. 2), for example an electric lamp, is arranged at one side of the conveyor apron R, while directly opposite, at the other side of the conveyor apron, there is arranged a photoelectric cell 16, the light source and photoelectric cell being arranged at such an elevation that, so long as fibrous material of the intended depth is moving along upon the conveyor apron between the light source and photoelectric cell, the li ght from the light source will be occluded and the photoelectric cell will be inactive.

By means of a suitable electrical circuit, such as illustrated, by way of example in FIG. 7, the doors 10 at the lower ends of the several compartments are opened automatically in response to the falling of light from the source 15 upon the photoelectric cell. A manual switch X in the electrical circuit provides for the opening of the doors 10 for the discharge of material from the cornpartments onto the conveyor apron R independently of the operation of the photoelectric cell. The circuit preferably includes a conventional time delay relay. The circuit normally operates to open the doors 10 when the light beam has not been interrupted for a predetermined period, for example three seconds; however, the time delay acts to prevent overloading of the spike apron, which might occur by reason of the momentary passage of the light beam through an accidentally occurring hole in the mass of material on the conveyor R during normal operation.

In the use of the apparatus as above described, the operator in the opening room will arrange the number of bales to be used in making the mix in convenient position about the slots T in the floor O and then, from each bale, in succession, will peel off a flake or slab of the iiber and drop it into a corresponding one of the slots T. The width of the throat at V determines the maximum thickness of the flake or slab of material which may be dropped into the compartment. In order to inform the operator as to whether a compartment is in readiness to receive material, a signal light W or equivalent device is arranged in the opening room, in circuit with a lever switch (not shown) which is actuated by the weight of material in the compartment.

The conveyor apron R is driven at the proper linear velocity, for example at the rate of fty feet per minute, to deliver the material to the spike apron at a rate such as to insure continuity of supply.

The operator places one flake or slab from a bale in each of the several compartments. Assuming that they have all received the desired charges of material and that the doors 10 are now opened, either manually or by the action of the photoelectric cell, the several charges of material will drop simultaneously onto the upper surface of the conveyor apron R. These several charges of material, diagrammatically indicated as G1, G2, G3, G4 and G5 (FIGS. 5 and 6), are each in the form of a generally rectangular mass or block corresponding, at least roughly, in horizontal dimensions to the several compartments (which may be of different widths if desired), and each of these masses, as it falls onto the upper surface of the conveyor apron R is of a length, longitudinally of the conveyor, approximately equalling the width of a cotton bale, the several masses being in parallel relation and usually in intimate contact with each other, the several masses thus forming a composite mass or block Gp (FIG. 4), each of the constituent charges representing the material obtained from a single one of the several bales. As the conveyor apron R moves toward the spike apron, it advances this composite block Gp of material, comprising the parallel charges G1, G2, etc., toward the spike apron, with their lower surfaces in the same horizontal plane, resting upon the upper surface of the apron R. AS here illustrated (FIGS. 4 and 6), these several charges are of substantially the same vertical depth, although if the compartments be of different transverse width the charges G, G1, G2, etc., may be of dierent dimensions horizontally. In any event, the advancing ends of these several charges are brought into engagement with the spike apron throughout their entire widths. As this composite block comprising the several charges passes between the light source 15 and the photoelectric cell 16, it occludes the beam of light from the light source so that the photocell is inactive. When the trailing end of the composite block of material comprising the charges G1, G2, etc., passes between the light source 15 and the photoelectric cell 16, the light beam is allowed to fall on the photoelectric cell and thereupon the solenoid valve 17 is so actuated as to cause the doors 10 to open, thus dropping the composite block GX (FIG. 4), comprising the charges which, in the meantime, have accumulated in the containers A, B, C, etc.

The tibrous material at the advancing ends of the charges G1,1G2, G3, etc., is entrained by the fibers of the rotating mass Gp, so that the several charges G1, G2, G3, etc., are gradually absorbed into said rotating mass. This mass, which is roughly cylindrical, thusV comprises coaxial rolls, each, respectively, consisting, in major part at least, of material derived from a corresponding one of the charges vG1,;G2, etc.and as the roll Gb rotates portions are pulled oif ,by the spike apron from each of these coaxial rolls and moved upwardly past the evening comb K. Any surplus material which is knocked olf by the comb K re-enters and becomes a part of the rotating mass Gb. The material delivered by the spike apronwill contain proportions of all of the several constituents of the desiredimix corresponding to the transverse widths of the several charges G1, G2, G3, etc., and the surplus which is knocked off by the comb K will likewise contain the several constituents in the same proportions. Thus, by this simple procedure, it isinsured that the material deposited in the several` compartments, A, B, C, etc., will be delivered at Z (FIG. 4) by the spike apron in exactly the same proportions as those in which they are placed in the compartments'by the operator, it being understood that, by the normal functioning of the apparatus P or equivalent means, or by hand, the material which is delivered at Z by the spike apron will be thoroughly mixed preparatory to spinning it or otherwise employing it.

In FIGS. `8 and 9, which depict a modification of the present invention, the character P again indicates a feeder of conventional type comprising a spike apron S (FIG. 9) to which the material to be delivered is presented by a conveyor apron R, here shown as having a horizontal material-supporting run. Adjacent to the receiving end of the conveyor.R is a second or feeding conveyor 100 which is intermittently driven independently of the conveyor R, as bythe motori101, Arranged above the conveyor "100 area plurality of elongate compartments 104, 105, Y1116, 107.and 108 (FIG.'8), similar in general to the compartments'A,.B, CD and E of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1. iHowever, these compartments are always open at the bottornand their sides `109 extenddown/almost to the surfaceA ofthe conveyor 100, which forms the oor of the several compartments. The forward wall 110 of each compartment` (nearest the'feeder P) is open at its lower part to provide a 'delivery-port just-above the conveyor 100, so thatl said conveyor may remove material which has accumulated in each of these compartments. Since the lower ends of the compartments are, in this arrangement, close to the conveyor run R, their tops may be correspondingly lowered, as compared with the arrangement of FIGV-l, and thus the apparatus need not extend through the Hoor alone, but rather may be'loaded by a workman standing at-the same level as the feeding machine P.

Inthis modification the function of the doors l() in the apparatus shown in FIG. l is accomplished, instead, by causing theconveyor 100 to be operated intermittently. Thus, while this conveyor is stopped, a workman may load each ofthe compartments 1134-108 with appropriate quantities of lliber from different bales. When the roll of material 1120 (FIG. 9),-fromwhich the spike apron S continuously draws brous material, becomes depleted, the conveyor 100 may be restarted thereby causing another composite-charge-torbe fed into the roll. As in thevapparatus of FIG. 1, the composite charge will be made up of a plurality of side-by-side components, each drawn from a different bale. The roll 120 will have the side-byside component character of the charge, and the composition ofthe fiow of iibers drawn away by the spike apron S during any unit of time will remain uniform.

`Rather than by photoelectric means, the intermittent operation of this modified charging apparatus is controlled by the rake 112 which aids the conveyor R and the spike apron S in forming the roll of brous material 121).

This rakej112 is` pivoted at 114 and is urged toward the spike apron Sibylthe counterweight 115, adjustable on the lever.116 as in the apparatus of FIG.1. In the arrangement ofFIG. 9, there is associated with the leveri116,a switch 119 `which controls the iiow of electric current to themotor 101. Thearrangement issuch that, as the roll 120` is depleted and the rake 112 swings forward under the influence of the counterweight 115, the lever 116 swings down and the switch is closed, starting'the motor and causing the composite charge to be` carried forward to replenish the roll.

An obvious advantage ofthis modification-is that, by forming the elements of the composite charges with their lower surfaces in the same plane and resting directly on the conveyor le?, the height of the apparatus may be educed and the entire process may be performed on a single tioor.

By the use of proper timing, itis-readily possible, with referenceto a given linear velocity of the apron R, to insure a continuous supply of material to thel spike apron at the rate at which the latter is designed to handle-it, while, at the same time, providing the operator with suiiicient time to deposit within each of the several containers the desired depth of charge.

While the apparatus as herein described is particularly well suited for the practice of the procedure above outlined, it is contemplated as within the purview of the invention, that other means may be provided fory depositing upon the conveyor apron R masses of the several constituents of the desired mix in side-by-side relation, each of such masses having its undersurface resting upon the upper surface of the apron R, or equivalent device, and the several masses being of substantially the same vertical depthythus, for example, such masses of the constituent materials might be placed upon the conveyor apronR by hand or otherwise deposited.

While the invention has been described and herein: illustrated in one desirable embodiment, it is contemplated that the invention is broadly inclusive ofany and all modications falling withinIt-he scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

l. Blending apparatus for use in assembling-predetermined quantities of iibrous materials having different characteristics for delivery to mixing machinery, said blending apparatus comprising a conveyor having a materialsupporting run, means for driving said conveyormeans operative simultaneously to deposit upon'said run, in sideby-side relation, a discrete mass of predetermined sizeof each, respectively, of the several constituents of the desired mix, means operative simultaneously to remove material from the advancing ends of the several individual masses of material carried by the conveyor, means defining compartments arranged above and with their lower ends spaced from said material-supporting run of the conveyor, each of said compartments being openat its top and having a hinged door which normally closes its lower end, each compartment being of a size and shape such as to provide for the accumulation therein of a predetermined quantity of one of the respective constituentrmaterials to form the mix, means normally holding thedoors closed thereby to permit the accumulation within each of said compartments of the desired predetermined quantity of material, and means operative automatically to open all of said doors simultaneously thereby to permit the material accumulated in the compartments to drop as a discretemass upon the material-supporting run of the conveyor.

2. Apparatus according to claim l, wherein the several compartments are rectangular in horizontal section and longer in the direction of conveyor movement than transversely whereby the discrete mass of material discharged by each compartment, when its door is opened, is substantially rectangular with the longer sides of the several rectangular masses parallel to each other and parallel to the direction of movement of the conveyor run, and means responsive to the arrival of the trailing ends of the several individual masses, at a predetermined point, as they are advanced toward the means for removing material from their advancing ends, by the conveyor run, simultaneously to open the doors at the bottoms of all the compartments to permit the discharge of discrete masses of materials similar to those previously discharged.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the means for automatically controlling the opening of the doors comprises a photoelectric cell and a light source disposed at opposite sides, respectively, of the conveyor run so that the light from the source is occluded so long as fibrous material is being moved across the beam of light by the conveyor.

4. In blending apparatus for use in assembling predetermined quantities of fibrous materials having different characteristics for delivery to mixing mechanism and wherein an endless conveyor, having a material-supporting run, is arranged to deliver material resting upon said run into the field of action of an upwardly moving spike apron, and means for driving said conveyor and spike apron, in combination, means operative simultaneously to arrange upon said conveyor run, in side-by-side relation widthwise of said conveyor run, discrete masses, each of predetermined size and each consisting of one, respectively, of the several constituents of the desired mix, the means for so arranging said masses upon the conveyor run comprising means dening a plurality of individual, vertically elongate compartments of xed dimensions, each for the accumulation therein of a predetermined quantity of one, respectively, of the constituents of the desired mix, restraining means normally operative to prevent escape of its contents from each respectively of the several compartments, and intermittently-acting means, located above said conveyor and between the compartments and the spike apron, operative, at time, to render said restraining means ineffective thereby simultaneously to free the contents of the several compartments for reception by said material-supporting conveyor run.

5. Blending apparatus for use in assembling predetermined quantities of fibrous material having different characteristics for delivery to mixing machinery, said blendng apparatus comprising a conveyor having a material-supporting run, means for driving said conveyor, conveyorloading means operative to dispose upon said run, in sideby-side relation widthwise of the conveyor run, discrete masses, each of predetermined size and each, respectively, of one of the several constituents of the desired mix thereby to form a composite block of substantially uniform height, and means operative simultaneously to remove material from the advancing ends of the several individual masses of material constituting said block as the latter is moved forwardly by the conveyor, said conveyor-loading means including stationary walls defining compartments of fixed horizontal dimensions arranged with their lower ends in a plane above the plane of the materialsupporting run of the conveyor, each of said compartments being open at its top and each compartment being of a size and shape such as to provide for the accumulation therein of a predetermined quantity of one of the respective constituent materials which are to form the mix, restraining means operative to prevent escape of material from said compartments thereby providing time for the accumulation of a charge of material therein, and ntermittently-acting means located above said material-supporting conveyor run and between the compartments and the spike apron operative automatically so to actuate said restraining means, at times, as to permit material, which has accumulated in each of the respective compartments, simultaneously to leave the several compartments and to be advanced as a discrete mass by said conveyor run.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the restraining means comprises a feeding conveyor operative to deliver material to the material-supporting conveyor run, and drive means, independent of that for driving said material-supporting conveyor run, drives the feeding conveyor intermittently, the compartments being so arranged above said feeding conveyor that the latter constitutes the floor of said compartments.

7. Blending apparatus according to claim 4, further characterized in that the restraining means comprises an intermittently-operating feeding conveyor for delivering material to the receiving end of said material-supporting conveyor run, and driving means for the feeding conveyor, independent of that for driving said material-supporting conveyor run, the aforesaid compartments being located above said feeding conveyor and being always open at their lower ends so that material deposited in said compartments drop freely until arrested by contact with said feeding conveyor, and means responsive to the depletion of material carried by said material-supporting conveyor run for starting the feeding conveyor.

8. Blending apparatus according to claim 4, and which comprises a movable rake, pivoted at its upper end, which yieldably presses against the material moving upwardly with the spike apron, further characterized in that the restraining means comprises an intermittently moving feeding conveyor for delivering material to the receiving end of the material-supporting conveyor run, and driving means for the feeding conveyor, independent of that for driving the material-supporting conveyor run, the said compartments being located above the feeding conveyor and wherein the feeding conveyor constitutes the floor of the several compartments, and means responsive to motion of said rake, occasioned by the depletion of material carried by said upward moving spike apron, for starting the feeding conveyor.

9. Blending apparatus according to claim 4, further characterized in that the restraining means comprises a feeding conveyor operative to deliver material to the receiving end of the material-supporting conveyor run, the aforesaid compartments being arranged above but with their lower ends close to said feeding conveyor, the latter forming the Hoor of said compartments, each compartment having a delivery port at its forward side directly above the feeding conveyor, each compartment being open at its top and of a size and shape such as to provide for the accumulation therein of a predetermined quantity of the respective constituent materials to form the desired mix, drive means for the feeding conveyor, the feeding conveyor normally being stationary, and means automatically operative to start the drive means for the feeding conveyor in response to the depletion of material on the spike apron thereby to cause the feeding conveyor to transfer the material which has accumulated in the sevveral compartments to the material-supporting conveyor run.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 13,613 Arneson et al. Oct. 2, 1855 1,359,029 Butler Nov. 16, 1920 2,234,280 Roberts Mar. l1, 1941 2,412,506 Greene et al. Dec. 10, 1946 3,073,402 Greene et al. Jan. 15, 1963 

1. BLENDING APPARATUS FOR USE IN ASSEMBLING PREDETERMINED QUANTITIES OF FIBROUS MATERIALS HAVING DIFFERENT CHARACTERISTICS FOR DELIVERY TO MIXING MACHINERY, SAID BLENDING APPARATUS COMPRISING A CONVEYOR HAVING A MATERIALSUPPORTING RUN, MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID CONVEYOR, MEANS OPERATIVE SIMULTANEOUSLY TO DEPOSIT UPON SAID RUN, IN SIDEBY-SIDE RELATION, A DISCRETE MASS OF PREDETERMINED SIZE OF EACH, RESPECTIVELY, OF THE SEVERAL CONSTITUENTS OF THE DESIRED MIX, MEANS OPERATIVE SIMULTANEOUSLY TO REMOVE MATERIAL FROM THE ADVANCING ENDS OF THE SEVERAL INDIVIDUAL MASSES OF MATERIAL CARRIED BY THE CONVEYOR, MEANS DEFINING COMPARTMENTS ARRANGED ABOVE AND WITH THEIR LOWER ENDS SPACED FROM SAID MATERIAL-SUPPORTING RUN OF THE CONVEYOR, EACH OF SAID COMPARTMENTS BEING OPEN AT ITS TOP AND HAVING A HINGED DOOR WHICH NORMALLY CLOSES ITS LOWER END, EACH COMPARTMENT BEING OF A SIZE AND SHAPE SUCH AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE ACCUMULATION THEREIN OF A PREDETERMINED QUANTITY OF ONE OF THE RESPECTIVE CONSTITUENT MATERIALS TO FORM THE MIX, MEANS NORMALLY HOLDING THE DOORS CLOSED THEREBY TO PERMIT THE ACCUMULATION WITHIN EACH OF SAID COMPARTMENTS OF THE DESIRED PREDETERMINED QUANTITY OF MATERIAL, AND MEANS OPERATIVE AUTOMATICALLY TO OPEN ALL OF SAID DOORS SIMULTANEOUSLY THEREBY TO PERMIT THE MATERIAL ACCUMULATED IN THE COMPARTMENTS TO DROP AS A DISCRETE MASS UPON THE MATERIAL-SUPPORTING RUN OF THE CONVEYOR. 